Incorporeal Witness

Chapter 3

Alex sat on her bench by the pond, waiting for Haley to join her. She and Logan had gotten back from their hike and after cleaning her wound again, and putting salve on it, she said she'd hand made, she'd made her way upstairs, taken a shower, and crashed. She'd slept like a log for three hours. Then felt like the dead when she woke up. There was a note on her door when she closed it behind her, saying when she was ready, lunch was in the microwave and that she only had to warm it. She'd almost cried from relief when she saw it was leftovers from the night before, mac and cheese, her favorite, and the way Logan made it, was just amazing. She'd eaten alone, the house silent, noises came to her now and again but she'd put it down to the old house settling around her. 

Now another hour or so later, she was waiting for Harley to get home, so they could talk and plan their own hike over the weekend. Logan told her about a shorter less strenuous hike they could do. When she'd asked Logan if she was joining them, she'd said no. Just plain no. Alex thought maybe she had some things to do over a weekend, or maybe she just didn't feel like spending time with Alex again, she had been a whiney ass on their hike that morning. She felt a light breeze pass her back and she shivered. There was no wind to speak of and that shiver down her spine gave her the creeps. Alex laughed at herself, the Olivia Monterey stories were getting to her. 

"Are you going crazy on holiday?" Alex jumped when Harley suddenly spoke behind her. 

"Jeez kid, a little warning next time." Harley laughed and plopped down next to her, handing her a slice of bread. 

"Sorry, I thought you heard me, detective ears and all that." 

"You should think about becoming a spy rather than a cop, you have very quiet feet." 

"No, imagine trying to convince mom to let me do that. She's already against the whole cop thing." Harley said and looked a bit down. Alex shifted so she could look at Harley. 

"Your mom is just worried about losing you, kid. Being a cop is dangerous work, everyday you walk out of your home and you don't know if you're going to walk back in. Saying goodbye to a loved one in the morning could be the last time you do. So give her some time, and cut her some slack on that." She nudged Harley with her shoulder. "She's not saying no, she lets you ride with your sheriff, that's like giving a little bit, right? And maybe by the time you hit college you want to do something else anyway." 

"I don't think I will. But I will give mom some time. And it's like still years before I can even join the academy." 

"Yep, it is. What have you learned from your sheriff?" 

"Harper? She's cool, she lets me do the paperwork sometimes, cause that's just as important she says. And when we go on ride alongs, she sometimes lets me ride in front, so I can answer the radio and switch on the lights." 

"That's good that she's teaching you about the paperwork, man that's like the most of your day, if you don't have an active case, the way they pile up, it's like they magically multiply while you work an active case." Alex turned to look over the pond again. "Your mom lost your dad to this job. It's understandable that she is reluctant to let you do it." 

"I know, but dad was young and he didn't wait for backup, he was supposed to wait, but he didn't, he crashed through the door alone," Harley said, and her voice quivered. 

"Your mom told you that?" 

"No." The way she said it and looked everywhere but at Alex, told her where she got the information.

"You saw the file?" 

"It was an accident, I was helping filing some things for Harper, and it was there, I tried to put it away, but couldn't, I read the report on the incident." 

"You already talk like a cop," Alex said with a laugh. "Did you tell your mom?" 

"No, she doesn't like talking about it, I've asked her what happened, but she always just says he was at the wrong place, wrong time." She threw the last piece of bread into the pond and watched the koi fight over it. "I think she wants me to think he was a good cop, I don't mean he was dirty, I  just mean good at the job." 

"I know kid." Alex pulled her into her side, her arm around Harley. She was surprised at the act and that Harley snuggled closer. "Sometimes, when the adrenalin hits, you just react, and maybe he thought he had to. I don't know what the situation was, but a report doesn't always tell you what was happening right then." 

"It was a drug bust. All he had to do was wait for his partner, Harper was at the car getting her vest. She was on her way back to him when he kicked the door down and rushed in, the shots rang out and she had to dive for cover. Their backup was around the corner, just a few seconds was all he had to wait." 

"Okay, then maybe he heard something, we won't ever know his side, kid." Alex said, she heard footsteps and turned her head to see a worried Logan making her way to them." Alex nudged Harley. "You're mom's coming." Harley sat up and wiped at her eyes. Alex smiled at Logan. 

"What's wrong Harley?" Logan knelt in front of them and took Harley's hands in hers. "What did you say to her?" 

"It's nothing mom, we were just talking about being cops and how hard it was and stuff." 

"Then why are you crying?" Logan asked suspicion clear in her voice. "Olivia said you were crying." 

"Dad came up," Harley said truthfully. "Olivia is a snitch." 

"She just cares about you." 

Seriously, Olivia?" Alex asked. 

"Yes, she rushed in and showed me tears," Logan said with a frown.  "Honey, if you want to talk about dad, we can." 

"No, it's okay. I'm okay mom, we were just talking." She smiled at her mom and leaned over to kiss her forehead. "Will you come on the hike with us?" 

"You know I have a lot to do around here." 

"She'll go with you," Devina said from the shade of a tree where she stood, gardening gloves in hand.

"Gran!" Harley jumped up and ran to Devina hugging her. 

"Olivia told me to come to look, Alex made you cry." She shot Alex a look over Harley's head.

"She didn't, we were talking about dad." 

"Oh, well then, I'll get back to my garden, I have to start supper shortly. Logan, go with them tomorrow, I can handle the new guest." 

"Mom..." 

"Go," Devina said and walked away, waving her hand as she spoke to an invisible companion. 

"You people are insane," Alex said with a laugh. 

"I guess we're going on another hike," Logan said ignoring Alex's comment. Harley cheered and Alex groaned.